Tim Hower runs CoastalPreps.com, covering HS sports on the east coast of North Carolina.  He was in attendance on Saturday at the 3A East Region al final and filed this report for PBR.  You can see pictures from the game at Coastal Preps.

For the third straight season, the New Hanover baseball team will play for a state championship.

Senior Alex Sniffen delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the top-seeded Wildcats a 2-1 walk-off victory over No. 2 D.H. Conley in Game 3 of the NCHSAA 3A East Regional championship series on Saturday night at Buck Hardee Field.

Things looked bleak for New Hanover (26-2) when the first two hitter of the inning were retired by Conley starter Matthew Matthijs.

Down to their final out, the Wildcats were able to rally and load the bases. Jac Croom reached on a throwing error that forced the Vikings (26-5) to pull Matthijs because of the pitch count rules. Chase Hardee and Kyle Smith each worked a walk against Mitchell Hoffler to set the stage for Sniffen.

Hoffler got ahead 0-2, but Sniffen guessed right on a curveball and hit it into left field to score Croom and Hardee to set off a massive dog pile that even New Hanover coach Richard Foy joined.

“I was 100 percent nervous,” Sniffen said. “I don’t know how you could go in there and not be nervous, but you have to learn how to slow your heart rate down. It wasn’t a perfect at-bat, but it got the job done.”

The victory puts New Hanover back in the 3A State Championship series for the second year in a row. They swept Crest a season ago after falling in two games to T.C. Roberson in 4A in 2017.

The Wildcats will take on Marvin Ridge, who also won in three games in the 3A. Game 1 will be played Friday with Games 2 and 3 (if necessary) on Saturday at either Five County Stadium in Zebulon or UNC Greensboro. The site will be determined by the NCHSAA.

“It’s a dream to be able to play in three state championship,” Sniffen said.

Matthijs and New Hanover starter Hunter Hodges were both incredible.

The Conley freshman allowed only two hits and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings. Hodges pitched seven shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

Hodges had a no-hitter through 5 2/3 innings before Robbie O’Neal singled to left. The Vikings had four base runners against Hodges, but no reached second base.

“Coach Foy told me on Tuesday that I would be the guy on Saturday if it came down to a third game,” Hodges said. “Immediately after the game Thursday I started to get mentally prepared.”
With Hodges out of the game, the Vikings capitalized. Chandler Baldree singled, Cam Jackson walked and Jake Lysaght reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases.

Josh McCarter plated Baldree with a two-out infield single to third to put the first run on the board. Jac Croom was able to strand the bases loaded by getting Shea Ward to pop up.